Good Copps

The conventional wisdom this campaign said that Tony Valeri was relatively safe as the backlash against Sheila Copps' ouster subsided. But Copps herself isn't letting Valeri off the hook just yet:

Former deputy prime minister Sheila Copps is helping out the Tory and NDP candidates in the Hamilton East-Stoney Creek riding in a bid to unseat her former Liberal colleague and political rival Tony Valeri.

Copps told the Hamilton Spectator that she is advising the campaign of Conservative Frank Rukavina and encouraging supporters to back the NDP's Wayne Marston in the Jan. 23 federal election...

Copps said Valeri does not deserve to get re-elected "because if you win your nomination using stealth, you don't deserve the confidence of the people."

It's all the more striking that Copps is apparently doing her best to back both of Valeri's opponents. For the future, I have to figure that makes Copps doubly unlikely to run again for the seat...both because I can't think many principled Liberals (if such creatures exist) would take kindly to somebody who's been willing to fight the party on multiple fronts, and because the Cons would now have access to some of the same knowledge which made Copps so successful.

Evidently, Copps is willing to hurt her own future chances at office to make sure that "anybody but Valeri" takes the seat. And if Copps can get as many of her supporters as last time to back the NDP, one of Martin's top lieutenants may yet receive his rightful reward for PMPM's meddling.